I have always been concerned about taking vitamins and supplements without any information on what the medication is all about. I always made it my business to find out and ask questions. You know how it is out there, one minute you hear all the reasons why you should be taking Vitamin E and then some health organization like the Mayo Clinic tells you that is not the case anymore. What do you do? It happens all the time. I have just read a tremendous article written by Cathy Gulli, one of the good writers at Maclean’s Magazine. Her article is titled "How vitamins can be hazardous to your health." It is well researched and it is included in the April 9th edition. I have a piece of the article here for you to get interested in following up. If you can’t find the magazine then Google it under the title of the article. I must say Maclean’s is a must read around my home.

How much is too much?

MacLean's.ca helps you sort through the confusion over the proper amount of nutrients to take.

Convention says calcium is good for bones. But if you read recent research you might never take calcium supplements again. They may increase the risk of heart attack in healthy post-menopausal women, according to a report by scientists at the University of Auckland in January’s British Medical Journal. Incidentally, post-menopausal women are probably the group mostly taking calcium pills to prevent osteoporosis, which makes bones more breakable. Then, in March, the Harvard Health Letter announced, “high calcium may not prevent fractures.” Confused?

Across the spectrum, most nutrition experts agree that vitamin and mineral pills — even ones that hold tremendous potential and do provide benefits — can actually be harmful too. Most damage happens when they're consumed in excess — at doses 10 or more times higher than the recommended daily intake. Even multivitamins can contain very high doses of certain nutrients, as vitamins and minerals are collectively known. Nutrient supplements "can have very negative human consequences" if mishandled, says Bill Jeffery of the Centre for Science in the Public Interest in Ottawa.

The evidence is mounting: in January, the Mayo Clinic declared that certain nutrient pills such as beta carotene and vitamin E either had no effect or appeared to increase cancer incidence and mortality. The U.S. National Institutes of Health, in a 2006 study, concluded in part that the safety and quality of multivitamin and mineral supplements are inadequate, and uncovered "disturbing evidence of risk" associated with taking some nutrient supplements. And back in 2003, the U.K.'s Food Standards Agency studied 34 vitamins and minerals and found that one could cause cancer, six could induce "irreversible, harmful effects," and three could have "short-term harmful effects."

These cautions come at a time when vitamin and mineral supplement use is at a high — nearly half of Canadian adults have taken a multivitamin in the past month, according to Statistics Canada, and more than one in three children have too. That nutrient supplementation is so popular indicates that people are increasingly taking their health into their own hands. With five million Canadians now doctorless, who can blame them? Plus many don't eat as well as they'd like vitamins seem to be a quick fix. With relentless media reports that this nutrient can prevent or cure that problem, it's no wonder the nutrient market in Canada is worth at least $400 million this year, says Harrington.

Please take the time to read this article and get some of the facts on the table. It is important to your health.